t
Annual Report
IIIIIIFY2DDS
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Letter from the Office Directors
This report provides highlights of the Fiscal Year (FY)
2008 activities and accomplishments of the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund program.
These activities include short-term cleanups, site assess-
ments, enforcement actions, long-term cleanups, emergency
responses, addressing federal facilities, developing and sup-
porting technology innovations, and engaging communities
affected by Superfund sites in the cleanup process. This
year's report also reflects a special focus on post-construc-
tion activities. We chose this focus because these activities
are an increasing aspect of the program's workload, and we
expect this trend to continue in the coming years.
While the Superfund remedial program continues to focus
on putting sites on the National Priorities List (NPL), and
then moving projects through the cleanup pipeline to rem-
edy completion, there has been increasing emphasis placed
on post-construction activities and ensuring long-term
protection at these sites. Completing physical construction
does not necessarily mean our work is done. In many cases,
additional activities are needed at a site to achieve cleanup
goals. These post-construction activities are an increasingly
important facet of the Superfund program. Implementing
these activities is critical to the realization of the program's
mission to protect human health and the environment, and
important for preparing land for future community uses.
Long-term stewardship and the engineering and institution-
al controls used to maintain remedies that are protective of
public health and the environment also are an important
area for continued community involvement.
In addition to the post-construction focus, the report com-
municates progress across the spectrum of Superfund activi-
ties. For example, during FY 2008, the Agency:
• Continued work at 681 construction projects at 423
sites and completed all remedy construction at 30 sites
around the country;
• Determined that an additional 85 sites qualified for the
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use designation, bring-
ing the cumulative national total to 343 sites;
• Conducted or oversaw 372 emergency response or
removal actions;
• Obtained commitments from responsible parties to
invest almost $1.6 billion for investigation and cleanup
of Superfund sites—the highest total in the last seven
years; and
• Obtained commitments from federal agencies to sign
enforceable federal facility agreements (FFAs) at all
federal sites that do not have signed FFAs.
These examples are just a few of the many successes
highlighted in the following pages. We invite you to read
about our progress during FY 2008. We also hope that you
view the progress this report chronicles as testimony to our
ongoing efforts to clean up the nation's worst hazardous
waste sites. Whether we use our long-term cleanup author-
ity or take short-term actions to mitigate immediate threats,
our goal is to protect human health and the environment
and to return formerly contaminated lands to communities
for productive use.
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Contents
Letter from the Office Directors
Highlights of FY 2008 Superfund Accomplishments
Financial Overview
Achieving Success throughout the Superfund Process 6
Site Discovery 7
Site Assessment 7
Hazard Ranking System and National Priorities List ..........7
Responding to a Release 7
Enforcement 11
Federal Facilities 11
Community Involvement 13
Public Information/Increasing Transparency 14
Post-Construction Completion: Maintaining Protection Over the Long Term is
Operation and Maintenance 15
Long-Term Response Actions 15
Ground Water Remedy Optimization 15
Five-Year Reviews 16
Institutional Controls 16
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use 17
NPL Deletion, .18
Looking Forward 19
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Highlights of FY 2008 Superfund Accomplishments
During FY 2008, the Superfund program continued to
make significant progress in protecting human health
and the environment and returning formerly contaminated
lands to productive use. By the end of FY 2008, construc-
tion of the remedy was complete at 1,060 of the 1,587 final
and deleted National Priorities List (NPL) sites. The program
also has determined that 343 sites are ready to be returned
to beneficial use by the community, putting both people and
property back to work.
Working with states, tribes, communities, local governments,
and other stakeholders, in FY 2008, EPA's Superfund pro-
gram:
• Controlled all identified unacceptable human exposures
at a net total of 24 sites, exceeding the annual target of 10
and bringing the program's end-of-year cumulative total
to 1,306 sites under control;
• Controlled the migration of contaminated ground water
through engineered remedies or natural processes at a net
total of 20 sites, exceeding the target of 15 for the year
and bringing the program's cumulative total to 997 sites
under control;
• Completed the construction phase of cleanup at 30 sites
across the country (for a total of 1,060 sites, or 67 percent
of the sites on the NPL);
• Determined that 85 sites have long-term protections in
place necessary for anticipated reuse, bringing the cumula-
tive total of sites ready for anticipated use to 343;
• Conducted or oversaw 681 ongoing construction proj-
ects at 423 sites (includes EPA-funded sites, potentially
responsible party [PRP]-lead sites and federal facility
sites). This figure includes 16 new remedial construction
projects at 15 sites initiated during FY 2008;
• Selected 97 cleanup plans at 73 sites, amended eight
cleanup plans, and issued 42 explanations of significant
differences (modifications of remedies after signing of a
site's Record of Decision) at 39 sites;
• Listed 18 new sites on the NPL and proposed an addi-
tional 17 new sites;
• Conducted 221 five-year reviews to ensure that protective
measures for waste that has been secured on-site remain
intact; and
• Deleted nine sites from the NPL, and at three other sites,
deleted a portion of the site from the NPL.
Financial Overview
In FY 2008, Congress appropriated $1.3 billion for the
Superfund program. EPA secured additional private
party commitments of nearly $1.9 billion to fund cleanup
work. Of this amount, PRPs agreed to conduct $1.575
billion in future response work and to reimburse EPA
for $232 million in past costs. EPA billed private parties
$75.5 million for oversight costs.
During FY 2008, EPA obligated:
• More than $218 million in appropriated funds, state
cost-share contributions, and PRP settlement re-
sources to conduct and oversee site assessments and
investigations, select and design cleanup plans, and
support state, tribal, community involvement, and
other activities.
• Nearly $599 million for construction and post-con-
struction activities and for conducting and over-
seeing emergency response actions. This amount
includes nearly $462 million in appropriated funds,
state cost-share contributions and PRP settlement
resources for construction and post-construction
projects, and nearly $137 million for more than 372
emergency response and removal actions to address
immediate and substantial threats to communities.
• More than $55 million in appropriated funds, state
cost-share contributions, and PRP settlement re-
sources to start cleanup construction at 16 projects
ranked by the National Risk-Based Priority Panel at
15 NPL sites.
While Superfund's accomplishments are significant, chal-
lenges remain. As the Superfund program matures, the
size, complexity, and cost of activities at sites continue to
grow. In FY 2008, nearly 57 percent of Superfund obli-
gations for construction and post-construction activities
went to just 17 sites. Due to funding needs for ongoing
construction work, not all new projects ready for con-
struction funding received it. While EPA funded 16 new
construction projects, 10 new projects that were ready to
initiate construction were not funded.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Achieving Success throughout the Superfund Process
The Superfund cleanup process is complex. For sites
requiring long-term cleanups, the process involves the
steps taken to assess sites, place them on the NPL, and
establish and implement appropriate cleanup plans. In addi-
tion, the Agency has the authority to:
• Conduct removal actions where immediate action needs
to be taken;
• Enforce against PRPs;
• Enforce FFAs and approve remedy decisions of lead agencies;
• Ensure community involvement;
• Involve states; and
• Ensure long-term protectiveness.
The blueprint for these activities is the National Oil and
Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP),
a regulation applicable to all federal agencies involved in
responding to hazardous substance releases.
The Superfund Pipeline
Site Discovery
Site Assessment and Hazard Ranking System
• No Further Response Action
• Other Appropriate Program
• NPL
Emergency Response, if necessary
Removal Action and/or Remedial Action
• Further Investigation (Rl/FS)
• Remedy Selection (ROD)
• Remedy Construction
• Construction Completion
Long-Term Response Action
Operation and Maintenance
Five-Year Reviews
Sitew/ide Ready for Anticipated Use
NPL Deletion
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Site Discovery
The Superfund cleanup process begins with site discovery
or notification to EPA of a possible release of hazard-
ous substances. Once discovered, sites are pre-screened and
most are removed from further consideration because they
pose little or no potential threat to human health or the envi-
ronment. State agencies refer the majority of sites to EPA.
Site Assessment
EPA enters sites not screened out at the discovery phase
into the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Information System (CER-
CLIS, the Superfund inventory of active sites), and EPA or
its state, tribal, or other federal partner assesses these sites
to determine whether further response is warranted. After
site assessment, only about two percent of sites remain to be
considered for potential listing on the NPL.
Following site assessment, EPA and its state and tribal
partners identify the most appropriate program to address
sites requiring cleanup. Programs considered include a state
voluntary or enforcement program; the Resource Conserva-
tion and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action program;
the Superfund removal program; and the Superfund remedial
action program, by listing on the NPL or as a Superfund al-
ternative-approach site. Based on recent screening rates, only
about one percent of sites assessed are placed on the NPL.
Hazard Ranking System and National
Priorities List
For a site to be addressed under the Superfund remedial
program, the data developed from site assessment are
used to evaluate the site under the Hazard Ranking System
(HRS), a numerically based screening system that assesses
the hazards a site poses to human health and the environ-
ment. The HRS score is calculated by analyzing waste
characteristics, the pathways of exposure (e.g., ground water,
surface water, soil, and air), and potential targets (e.g., human
populations or sensitive environments).
The preliminary HRS score is used to determine whether
further investigation is necessary or whether the site should
receive a "No Further Remedial Action Planned" (NFRAP)
designation. A NFRAP designation means that further
remedial assessment under EPA's Superfund program is
not planned, although a Superfund removal assessment and
EPA Completes 40,000th Final
Assessment Decision
In April 2008, EPA completed the 40,000th Final Assess-
ment Decision (FAD) under the Superfund program, one of
the 415 FADs completed by EPA and its partners during FY
2008. A FAD indicates the completion of all Superfund re-
medial assessment work at a site; it is one of the key mea-
sures tracked by EPA under the Government Performance
and Results Act. As of August 2008, the universe of sites
eligible for FAD decisions, which grows by about 200 sites
per year, stood at about 44,000. Approximately 84 percent
of the sites with a FAD indicate no cleanup work is neces-
sary under Superfund. The remaining 16 percent indicate
cleanup attention is needed under Superfund or other fed-
eral, state, or tribal environmental cleanup programs.
action may still take place. Sites that score above a certain
threshold are eligible for listing on the NPL. If listed on
the NPL, a non-federal site becomes eligible for remedial
funding. In FY 2008, the Superfund program listed 18 new
sites on the NPL and proposed an additional 17 sites. The
majority of Superfund sites (1,211 of 1,587) were listed
before 1991. Given the development in the 1990s of other
site cleanup programs, particularly state programs, it is not
surprising that in recent years EPA has considered fewer
sites for NPL listing. In fact, this phenomenon demonstrates
the maturity and success of other environmental programs
nationwide.
EPA continues to list sites every year as the Agency and its
partners identify new sites warranting Superfund attention.
The response process can take several years, and involves
investigation, study, and remedy selection, design, and
construction. Only after a remedy is selected for long-term
cleanup are private party or orphan sites eligible for long-
term cleanup funding. In addition, EPA monitors sites for
any change in status that may require additional short-term
or emergency cleanup.
Responding to a Release
"\~\7" Then EPA determines that a federal response is necessary,
Vv the Superfund law, the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), provides
several options for responding to an actual or potential release
of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. Options in-
clude initiating a removal action or a remedial action; the cleanup
also can be Fund-lead or PRP-lead (with EPA oversight).
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Emergency Response and Short-Term
Removal Actions
In FY 2008, EPA obligated nearly $137 million to con-
duct and oversee 372 emergency response and removal
actions to address immediate threats to communities. There
are three types of removal actions: (1) emergency removals,
where action is required within hours or days; (2) time-criti-
cal removals, where timely action (which the lead agency
has up to six months to plan) must begin to protect human
health or the environment; and (3) non-time-critical remov-
als, where the lead agency has at least six months to plan the
response action. EPA uses its removal authorities to take ac-
tions, such as removing leaking drums from a site or provid-
ing alternative drinking water at NPL and non-NPL sites, if
the Agency determines that available supplies are unsafe.
EPA undertakes an emergency action to respond to an
actual release, or to prevent potential releases and their con-
sequences. To prevent a potential release, EPA responded
to an emergency in February 2008 near Leadville, Colorado,
high in the Rocky Mountains. A former mine drainage tun-
nel clogged by debris was threatening to burst and spew mil-
lions of gallons of metals-contaminated acid mine drainage
into the Arkansas River. Within two weeks, the EPA team
installed a temporary pumping system in a nearby mining
shaft to help relieve water pressure in the Leadville mine
drainage tunnel. Using emergency response authorities, the
team then drilled a permanent relief well 350 feet below the
surface into the 60-year-old tunnel. Under the same authori-
ties, EPA installed almost one mile of pipeline from the well
site to the water treatment plant. EPAs actions addressed
the concerns of the community and local, state, and federal
elected officials.
Sites such as the Stenton Trust Mill site in Sanford, Maine,
require a short-term cleanup consisting of one or more re-
moval actions. Working closely with the Maine Department
of Environmental Protection and local officials, EPA Region
1 and its contractors performed a time-critical removal ac-
tion in September 2008 to mitigate any actual or potential
exposure to the hazardous substances in and around the
site, which included volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
semi-volatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), and other contaminants.
Also during FY 2008, EPA Region 4 certified as complete a
series of non-time-critical removals by Tennessee Gas Pipe-
lines (TGPL) at compressor stations located along TGPL's
natural gas pipeline from the Gulf Coast to the New
England Coast. This project involved 48 non-time-critical
removal actions (37 on-facility and 11 off-facility) that were
conducted to remove PCBs and other hazardous substances.
For the off-facility projects, a total of 11,810 linear feet of
PCB-contaminated drainage channels and/or stream beds
were remediated.
40-Foot Drill Rig Used to Reach Tunnel in Leadville, Colorado
Removal actions often can be the first step in a long-term re-
medial action. While completing remedy construction at large,
complex sites may take many years, the first step at each site
is to address immediate risks through the removal program.
To date, the Superfund removal program has conducted 9,400
removals at more than 6,900 sites, including 372 removals in
FY 2008. More than 2,400 of the removals have occurred at
NPL sites. In fact, EPA has carried out removal actions at 56
percent of the sites on the NPL, including 142 removals at
NPL sites not yet in the long-term construction phase. For
example, in 1999, EPA began removal actions in Libby, Mon-
tana. EPA listed the Libby Asbestos site in 2002. Although a
final remedy has not yet been selected, the Agency continues
to work actively at the site to reduce asbestos exposure. To
date, EPA has carried out removal activities at over 1,000
properties in and around Libby, and has removed more than
500,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
EPA Region 7 Addresses Lead-Contaminated Sites
Sometimes EPA addresses a set of sites that share the same
contaminants because similar activities were conducted on
them over the years. Such is the case in EPA Region 7, where
the Region has conducted cleanups at numerous sites con-
taminated with lead. This contamination resulted from the
mining and smelting activities that began in the mid-1700s
and continues today in some areas of the Region.
As of the end of FY 2008,
EPA Region 7 has removed
over 1,000,000 cubic
yards of lead-contaminat-
ed soils from more than
10,000 properties. These
activities have addressed
more than 5,000,000 cu-
bic yards of lead-contami-
nated mine waste and promoted securing permanent al-
ternate water supplies for more than 1,400 homes. These
actions also have contributed to significant reductions in
elevated blood-lead levels in children in several communi-
ties, while also significantly decreasing the effects of met-
als-contaminated mine waste in the natural environment.
Remedial Actions
EPA or PRPs (including other federal agencies) usually
need to conduct further investigation to determine
the most appropriate remedy for a site. This phase is called
the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS). Once a
remedy has been selected, EPA or PRPs with EPA oversight
then design the remedial action.
Superfund remedy selection has evolved over the years.
Since 1995, EPA has worked with communities, property
owners, and local governments to identify the reasonably an-
ticipated uses of a property in order for anticipated uses to
be considered during remedy selection. For example, Scenic
Galveston, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to wet-
lands restoration, purchased the Malone Service Company
Superfund site in Texas City, Texas, to establish a bird watch-
ing preserve. In anticipation of that future use, EPA Region
6 risk assessors worked with the PRPs to design a more pro-
tective cleanup plan than that required for the industrial-use
scenario originally envisioned for the site. The final decision
for the Malone Service Company site will incorporate this
new scenario into the remediation goals to ensure a cleanup
protective of bird watchers. At the 50-acre Federal Creosote
site in Manville, New Jersey, EPA Region 2 coordinated the
cleanup to be consistent with the future uses contemplated
in the town's redevelopment plans. The property will include
a mixture of greenspace, additional housing and commercial
space, and is a significant component of Manville's Town
Center redevelopment plan. EPA completed remedial activ-
ity at the Federal Creosote site during FY 2008.
To ensure that remedies are cost-effective and employ the
most recent technologies, EPA convenes a board composed
of Headquarters and regional office experts to review all
remedies expected to cost more than $25 million. This review
usually takes place before a remedy is proposed. Once EPA
proposes a remedy, the Agency solicits public comment on it.
When necessary, EPA works to resolve stakeholder concerns
about a remedy, and after such issues are resolved, EPA docu-
ments the selected remedy in a Record of Decision (ROD).
Tar Creek House Located Adjacent to a Chat Pile
In February 2008, EPA Region 6 issued a ROD for the Tar
Creek site in Oklahoma, one of the largest Superfund sites in
the nation. By looking beyond the routine cleanup approach-
es and standard operating procedures, the site team designed
a cost-effective $167 million remedy that ensures environ-
mental justice, returns thousands of acres to unencumbered
use, and allows for a return to the tribal way of life. The
remedy design also defines the criteria for the continued safe
conduct of a local commercial industry and thereby protects
the related job market into the future. While significant chal-
lenges still loom at the site—including resolution of liability
issues—the ROD was a significant milestone in the cleanup
of this large, complex site. The Tar Creek ROD was among
97 cleanup plans selected at 73 sites during FY 2008. EPA
also amended eight cleanup plans and issued 42 explanations
of significant differences at 39 sites during FY 2008.
Once a remedy design is complete, EPA or the PRPs with
EPA oversight construct the remedy. In FY 2008, EPA Re-
gion 9 initiated construction at the Iron Mountain Mine site
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Greener Remediation by Reducing Diesel
Emissions at Camp Pendleton, CA
Camp Pendleton Marine
Corps Base in San Diego,
California, utilized innova-
tive cleaner-burning con-
struction equipment to
excavate 120,000 cubic
yards of contaminated
soil as part of Region 9's
Cleanup-Clean Air Initiative. Camp Pendleton is the Marine
Corps' primary amphibious training center, training over
60,000 soldiers annually. Land uses include airfield opera-
tions, maneuver and impact areas, troop and family hous-
ing and recreation areas. This project was the result of a
partnership between EPA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps,
West Coast Environmental (the cleanup contractor),and
Caterpillar and Huss (equipment suppliers). Diesel emis-
sions were reduced by using clean diesel technologies, ret-
rofitted equipment, ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, and biofuels
on six construction vehicles to remove soil contaminated
with metals, dioxins/furans, and pesticides and dispose of
these soils off-base.
in Redding, California, starting with the first phase of the
remedy to address sediment in the Keswick Reservoir. This
phase involves removing three metal precipitate sediment
piles that collected in the Spring Creek Arm of the Keswick
Reservoir during the 50 years that the mine operated. These
piles pose a significant threat to the salmon populations that
spawn in the Sacramento River and must be removed to
avoid a catastrophic release.
During FY 2008, EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
(SRI) provided resources to Regions to help communities
think about the future use of sites. These resources can be
used to consider reuse at any stage in the cleanup process.
SRI also took a new approach to providing resources to com-
munities during FY 2008. Regions may now request funding
for a "situation assessment" before applying for additional
resources to help consider reuse. During FY 2008, SRI pro-
vided resources to perform situation assessments at four sites
in Regions 7 and 9. Three of these sites, all in Region 9, went
on to receive full regional seed resources in 2008, and one
will receive regional seed resources in 2009. In addition, SRI
provided resources to support reuse to a site in Region 1 and
continued activities at sites in Regions 4, 7, and 8.
rate "green remediation" best management practices into
cleanups. "Green remediation" may include considering the
environmental effects of remedy implementation and incor-
porating options to maximize the net environmental ben-
efit of cleanup actions. Considerations may include energy
requirements, efficiency of on-site activities, and the reduc-
tion of impacts on surrounding areas. In future years, EPA
expects that land remediation programs will increasingly
consider green remediation and the creation and use of re-
newable energy. EPA expects to release a green remediation
strategy in 2009, the goal of which will be to foster greater
consideration of greener remediation practices across Super-
fund. The strategy is intended to be a resource to site project
managers and others by identifying opportunities regarding
cleanup practices, helping build green remediation capacities
and creating mechanisms to enable the use of green reme-
diation practices.
Remediation work continued on 681 construction projects at
423 sites, and construction was completed at 30 sites across the
country during FY 2008, including the two Superfund sites that
comprise the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant site.
Construction completion is a key milestone in the Superfund
cleanup process. A site is considered "construction com-
plete" when all construction work at all of the remedies at
the site is complete.
Construction Complete at Joliet Army
Ammunition Sites
The cleanup and redevelopment of the Joliet Army Ammu-
nition Plant (JOAPP) is a national model for how federal,
state, and local government can work effectively over time
with communities, non-governmental organizations, and
the private sector to develop win-win solutions to difficult
problems. The Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in Illinois,
comprises two contiguous Superfund sites and was one
of the nation's largest and most productive ordnance com-
plexes. After the JOAPP was declared excess in 1993, the
U.S. Army, EPA, and Illinois EPA worked in conjunction with
the local Joliet Arsenal Citizens Planning Commission to
formulate a cleanup and reuse plan for the property. In
2008, the cleanup was completed—three years ahead of
schedule. Nearly all of the land has been transferred and
is being redeveloped in ways that are already accruing sig-
nificant economic and ecosystem restoration benefits for
the community and the region. Parts of the site have been
redeveloped to create the Midewin National Tallgrass Prai-
rie, establish the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, and
build two industrial parks and a landfill in Will County.
Also in FY 2008, EPAs cleanup programs, including Su-
perfund, continued to explore how to effectively incorpo-
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Before
Cleanup of Urauan Mill Site Completed
In September 2008, EPA
Region 8 certified the
completion of the 20-year,
$120-million cleanup of the
Uravan Mill Superfund site
in Colorado. The former ura-
nium and vanadium mine
and processing site is lo-
cated along the San Miguel
River in western Montrose
County. The 680-acre site had long been contaminated with
radioactive residues, metals, and other inorganic materials.
Operations at Uravan date to the dawn of the atomic age, and
its closing coincides with renewed interest in uranium mining
and milling in the area. Umetco, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical,
has operated the facility since 1984.
During the cleanup, more
than 13 million cubic yards
of mill tailings, evaporation
pond precipitates, water
treatment sludge, contami-
nated soil, and debris from
more than 50 major mill
structures were collected
After and disposed of in four on-
site repositories. More than 380 million gallons of contami-
nated liquid collected from seepage containmentand ground
water extraction systems were treated at the mill site. The
site and surrounding area will be used in the future for recre-
ation and as a wildlife habitat. One portion of the site will be
transferred to the Department of Energy (DOE) for long-term
management, while another will be used as a campground
and visitor center, complete with a museum dedicated to
uranium mining and milling in Western Colorado.
Enforcement
EPA remains committed to "the polluter pays" prin-
ciple. With CERCLA's robust enforcement, in FY 2008
private parties agreed to invest approximately $1.6 billion to
clean up contamination and to reimburse EPA $308 million
for its past response and oversight costs.
During FY 2008, the Superfund program:
• Entered into 124 agreements with PRPs to initiate
response work;
• Achieved 72 settlements with funds designated for
special accounts, six de minimis settlements, and one
orphan-share settlement; and
• Initiated 35 new PRP-lead remedial actions or long-term
cleanups.
EPA vigorously pursues all liable parties for Superfund
cleanup costs, including bankrupt parties. In FY 2008, W.R.
Grace paid $250 million to clean up asbestos contamination
at the Libby, Montana, Superfund site, a new record for the
amount of money paid in bankruptcy to clean up a Super-
fund site. In addition, W.R. Grace agreed to an allowed claim
in bankruptcy of $34 million for the cleanup of 32 Super-
fund sites in 18 states.
EPA also takes action when federal facilities do not comply
with cleanup agreements. In FY 2008, EPA enforced against
the U.S. Navy for failure to properly monitor wells at the
Brunswick Naval Air State in Maine. EPA enforced against
DOE for failure to perform cleanup work at the Hanford
site in Washington. DOE agreed to pay a $285,000 penalty,
purchase two emergency response boats (at an estimated
cost of $200,000) for the local sheriff's office to respond to
hazardous materials spills, and construct a $600,000 green-
house and nursery at the campus of Washington State Uni-
versity. The greenhouse/nursery will grow native vegetation
to rehabilitate habitat at the site. DOE also agreed to pay a
$75,000 penalty for missing cleanup deadlines.
EPA issued a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) order requiring the Air Force to investigate and
take action to clean up contamination at the Tyndall Air
Force Base NPL site in Florida. This order was issued after
EPA found that there may be an imminent and substantial
endangerment at the site due to pesticides, heavy metals,
volatile organics and residues from ordnance, jet fuel, and
oil that were found in ground water, surface water, soil and
sediments at the base. Ground water is only two to three feet
below the surface and is used for drinking. DDT has been
found in the sediments in nearby Shoal Bayou which is used
for recreational fishing and wading and which has sensitive
ecological resources such as fish, shellfish, and birds.
Federal Facilities
EPA oversees environmental cleanups resulting from
past improper hazardous materials and waste handling
and disposal operations at federal facility sites, primarily
at Department of Defense (DoD) and DOE installations.
EPA provides oversight and technical assistance at NPL
and selected non-NPL federal sites, addresses policy issues
related to cleanup, supports the DoD's Base Realignment
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Private Party Commitments for Superfund Site Study & Cleanup,
Oversight & Cost Recovery
(Inflation Adjusted to FY 2008 Dollars)
FY04
FY05
FY06
FY07
FY08
Note: All prior FY dollar figures in this report are adjusted to reflect the current value
in FY 2008 dollars based on the monthly rate of inflation as determined by the U.S.
Department of Labor Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. FY 2008 Data
source for Cleanup and Cost Recovery: Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation & Liability Information System (CERCLIS), October 30, 2008: FY 2008
Data source for Oversight: Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), October
18 2008: Data source for previous fiscal years: CERCLIS and IFMS.
and Closure (BRAG) program, and promotes revitalization
of federal properties. EPA also provides technical assistance
to other federal entities, states, tribes, local governments,
and communities during the cleanup of federal properties to
ensure that statutory responsibilities related to the transfer
of contaminated federal properties at NPL and non-NPL
sites are properly met. This includes approving property
transfers prior to implementation of remedies at NPL sites
(i.e., early transfer), and making determinations that rem-
edies are operating properly and successfully. Communities
benefit because, after transfer, excess federal properties have
been converted to many beneficial uses. Examples include a
business/commercial park, wildlife reserve, greenspace, and
a multi-family housing complex.
Superfund federal facility activities often are highly visible
because of the potential threats posed by military weapons
sites; the impact of military base closings; the resources
needed to implement DoD/DOE cleanups; and heightened
state, tribal, local government, and other stakeholder inter-
ests. These facilities include Formerly Used Defense Sites
(FUDS), abandoned mines, nuclear weapons production
facilities, fuel distribution areas, and landfills.
There are over 150 final federal facility sites on the NPL
which require EPA and the federal agency that owns or op-
erates the NPL site to enter into an enforceable agreement
governing the cleanup and laying out each party's responsi-
bilities. Approximately 158 NPL federal facilities have signed
interagency and federal facility agreements.
During FY 2008, EPA, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department
of the Interior and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
finalized an enforceable agreement for a former military site
on the island of Vieques off Puerto Rico. The agreement
requires that the environmental impacts associated with past
and present activities on Vieques and its surrounding waters
be thoroughly investigated and that appropriate actions be
taken to protect the community and the environment. The
agreement will facilitate cooperation, exchange of informa-
tion, and participation of all the parties involved.
EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard also completed an enforce-
able agreement governing the cleanup of the Coast Guard's
Curtis Bay facility in Baltimore, Maryland. The agreement
requires the Coast Guard to thoroughly investigate envi-
ronmental impacts associated with past activities, and to
take appropriate actions to protect the community and the
environment. The agreement identifies roles, responsibilities,
processes, and schedules that EPA will follow to protect the
environment and support approved land uses.
To date, 862 remedial actions have been completed at NPL
facilities. At the end of FY 2008, 653 remedial projects (398
RI/FSs, 51 Remedial Designs, and 204 Remedial Actions)
were underway at NPL sites.
New Auto Plant Planned on Volunteer Army
Ammunition Plant Site
Between 2001 and 2008, close coordination among EPA
Region 4, the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation (TDEC), the U.S. Army, and local partners
has led to the cleanup and redevelopment of the Volun-
teer Army Ammunition Plant site, part of a former Army TNT
manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
"^.s»», «.'(' * ,!*•'•• v^r.
In July 2008, Volkswagen announced the construction of a
$1 billion, 950-acre auto assembly plant on the property,
spurred by a local and state incentive package totaling $577
million over the next 30 years. More than 3,100 acres of site
property have been cleared for transfer to the National Park
Service, Hamilton County, and the City of Chattanooga for
light industry, municipal buildings, and parks and recreation.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
FY 2008 accomplishments for the federal facilities program
included:
• Issuing 92 cleanup decision documents at federal facility
sites;
• Starting 33 RI/FSs;
• Beginning 56 remedial actions;
• Completing 58 remedial actions;
• Achieving two construction completions;
• Achieving Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status at
eight federal facility sites; and
• Completing 26 five-year reviews.
Community Involvement
Stakeholder involvement is an integral part of the Super-
fund cleanup process. It begins early and is sustained
throughout all stages of site work. During FY 2008, EPA con-
tinued to work in partnership with states, tribes, other federal
agencies, and PRPs to identify, assess, clean up, and prepare
Superfund sites for reuse, and to actively involve communities
and other interested stakeholders throughout the process. EPA
recognizes that stakeholders should have a voice in the cleanup
decision-making process, and that robust stakeholder involve-
ment improves the quality and acceptability of cleanups.
The Superfund community involvement program helps make
the community valuable participants throughout the cleanup
process. By listening to the community's needs and concerns,
EPA often can tailor remedies to address them. Involvement in
the remedy selection process and throughout cleanup also helps
the community understand the trade-offs associated with differ-
ent cleanup options and the basis for many cleanup decisions.
Community involvement has been a critical aspect of the re-
mediation effort at the Escambia Wood Treating Company site
(ETC), where the third largest relocation in EPA history was
completed in 2008. EPA Region 4 currently is implementing
the soil cleanup at the ETC site, an abandoned wood-preserv-
ing facility in Pensacola, Florida. The facility treated utility poles,
foundation pilings, and lumber with creosote and pentachlo-
rophenol. In October 1991, EPA excavated approximately
225,000 cubic yards of contaminated material and stockpiled it
under a secure cover at the site.
In 1997, permanent relocation of 358 households around the
site began as part of EPAs National Relocation Evaluation
Pilot Project. Phase 1 included permanent relocation of 358
Partnerships Key to Addressing Nauajo Nation
Abandoned Uranium Mines
In June 2008, EPA Region 9, in partnership with DOE, the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, finalized a five-year plan
for cleaning up the legacy of abandoned uranium mining
on Navajo Nation land. This landmark plan outlines a strat-
egy for cleanup and details the cleanup process over the
next five years. It is the first coordinated approach created
by the five federal agencies.
From 1944 to 1986, nearly
four million tons of ura-
nium ore were extracted
from Navajo lands under
leases with the Navajo Na-
tion. Many Navajo people
worked the mines, often
living and raising families
nearby. Today the mines
are closed, but a legacy of
uranium contamination remains, including over 500 aban-
doned mines, as well as homes and drinking water sources
with elevated levels of radiation. Since 1994, the Super-
fund program has provided technical assistance and over
$13 million in funding to assess potentially contaminated
sites and develop a response.
EPA is addressing the most urgent risks on the reserva-
tion—uranium-contaminated water sources and structures.
EPA already has assessed more than 113 structures and
yards, and targeted at least 25 structures and 12 yards for
remediation as a precaution. As additional mines that pose
risks are discovered, EPA may use Superfund authorities,
including the NPL, enforcement against PRPs, or emergen-
cy response, to require cleanup. At the Northeast Church
Rock Mine, the highest-risk mine on the reservation, EPA is
requiring the owner to conduct a cleanup that is protective
of nearby residents.
Although the legacy of uranium mining will take many years
to address, this collaborative effort will bring an unprec-
edented level of support and protection for the people at
risk from these sites.
households in four neighborhoods, the demolition of existing
structures, and restriction of land use to commercial purposes.
The Clarinda Triangle neighborhood relocation was added to
the scope of the action in 2006, and an additional 38 house-
holds were voluntarily relocated. The last offer-to-sell was
negotiated in August 2008. In all, more than 500 persons were
successfully relocated to comparable replacement housing in
Pensacola and surrounding areas as part of this action.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
EPA Region 4 worked closely with the affected community
throughout the process. With a Superfund Technical As-
sistance Grant (TAG) awarded by EPA, the community
engaged the services of an independent technical adviser
to help it interpret site data and the relocation process. This
assistance allowed the community to participate more fully
in site decision-making, including the long and often difficult
relocation process. After the relocation was completed, EPA
performed environmental assessments of the abandoned
structures before beginning demolition activities. Communi-
ty involvement efforts clearly paid off. The president of the
Clarinda Triangle Association reported that the community
"cannot imagine the work going any better, kudos to all!"
Public Information/lncreasingTransparency
Over the last several years, EPA has greatly expanded the
amount of information available to the general public
regarding Superfund sites. Superfund Site Profiles, available
for all sites proposed to the NPL, currently final on the NPL
or deleted from it, display site progress in a standard format
(http://cfpub.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/srchsites.cfm). Each pro-
file includes information such as the current status of cleanup
efforts, what cleanup milestones have been reached, and how
much liquid and solid-based media have been treated. Ad-
ditionally, the profiles include links to information found on
EPA regional Web sites. All information is presented in easy-
to-understand, non-technical language.
EPA has enhanced the availability of information regarding
Superfund sites in the following ways:
• EPAs community involvement coordinators regularly com-
municate site information to community members who live
near Superfund sites through public meetings, mailings, and
published notices.
• On its Superfund Web site (www.epa.gov/superfund), EPA
posts RODs and other key decision documents, including
ROD amendments and explanations of significant differ-
ences (modifications of remedies after signing of a ROD)
for NPL sites. More than 3,300 Superfund program docu-
ments are currently available on the Web site.
• To enhance the visibility of sites and encourage their reuse,
EPA has added information about sites that meet the
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use (SWRAU) performance
measure in Superfund Site Profiles.
• EPA has added information from its Institutional Control
(1C) Tracking System to Superfund Site Profiles for those
sites for which EPA has quality-assured the information and
made certain it can be reliably documented. This informa-
tion provides the public with the status of a site's ICs, in-
cluding whether an 1C is needed and what legal mechanisms
will be used to implement it.
To reach an even broader audience, EPA has been working
to include site information on the Agency Web site, "Clean-
ups in My Community" (http://iaspub.epa.gov/Cleanups/),
and has worked with data providers such as Microsoft,
Environmental Systems Research Institute, and Google to
develop the necessary links to allow these companies to ac-
cess EPA site information and overlay it on maps and other
geospatial displays (such as Google Earth).
Superfund Site Activity
Site Universe
(47,929)
Active Sites
(12,595 Sites)
NPL Sites
(By Most Advanced Project)
(1,587)
Construction
Complete (1,060)
Archived
(35,334)
Active
(12,595)
Active, Non-NPL
(11,008)
NPL (Final and Deleted)
(1,587)
Construction
Underway
(315)
Pre-Construction
(209)
Deleted and Deferred
to Another Authority
(3)
Construction
Complete (CC)
(1,060)
Construction
Complete
(717)
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Post-Construction Completion: Maintaining Protection Over the Long Term
[
By the end of FY 2008, 67 percent of final and deleted
NPL sites were "construction complete." With so many
sites now at this post-construction stage, the Superfund pro-
gram must focus attention and resources to implement the
activities necessary to ensure that remedies remain protec-
tive over the long term. These post-construction activities
generally begin when a site achieves a construction complete
designation. Sites qualify when:
• Any necessary physical construction is complete, wheth-
er or not final cleanup levels or other requirements have
been achieved;
• EPA has determined that the response action should be
limited to measures that do not involve construction; or
• NPL deletion requirements have been met.
The goal of post-construction completion activities is to
ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the
long-term protection of human health and the environment.
EPA's post-construction completion activities also involve
optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and reduce
costs without sacrificing long-term protection. EPA devel-
oped its 2005 Post-Construction Completion Strategy to im-
prove site operations and maintenance, remedy performance
tracking, and 1C implementation and tracking, and to reduce
barriers to beneficial site reuse. Under this strategy, EPA is
ensuring that five-year reviews are completed and any dis-
crepancies identified in the reviews are addressed. Five-year
reviews are periodic evaluations of the implementation and
performance of a remedy to determine whether it remains
protective of human health and the environment. EPA also
continues to support the reuse of cleaned-up sites under its
Return to Use Initiative. Sites identified as demonstration
projects highlight how reuse dovetails with protection of hu-
man health and the environment and many of the post-con-
struction topics discussed below. Throughout 2008, EPA has
been working to identify the next round of demonstration
projects and expects to announce them in 2009.
Operation and Maintenance
The operation and maintenance (O&M) phase of the Su-
perfund process is an important part of ensuring that a
given remedy continues to perform as intended. Actions may
range from maintaining engineering containment structures
(e.g., landfill covers) to operating ground water remediation
systems. Generally, O&M is the responsibility of the PRPs,
states or other federal agencies, while EPA is responsible
for ensuring that the work is performed adequately. Most
O&M and long-term monitoring is done by PRPs with EPA
oversight.
Long-Term Response Actions
EPA retains funding and operating responsibility for
Fund-financed ground water and surface water restora-
tion systems for up to 10 years (called Long-Term Response
Actions) prior to transferring these systems to the states for
O&M. A restoration remedy is a remedial action with the
objective of returning all or part of a ground water aqui-
fer or surface water body to levels that allow for beneficial
use. Ground water pump-and-treat and monitored natural
attenuation (the process of monitoring the reduction of
contaminants in soil or ground water through degradation
or dissipation by natural physical, chemical, or biological
processes) for aquifer restoration are the most common
long-term response action remedies.
Ground Water Remedy Optimization
Costs of long-term monitoring (LTM) for ground water
during remediation represent a significant, persistent
and growing burden for the private entities and government
agencies responsible for environmental remediation projects.
LTM optimization (LTMO) offers an opportunity to im-
prove the cost-effectiveness of the LTM effort by assuring
that monitoring achieves its objectives with an appropriate
level of effort. The optimization may identify inadequa-
cies in the monitoring program and recommend changes
to protect against potential impacts to the public and the
environment. LTMO also may reduce costs. This possibility
of cost reduction is especially true as the remedy progresses,
monitored parameters become more predictable, and the
extent of contamination diminishes. Decreases in monitor-
ing frequency, locations and analytical requirements can
result in substantial cost savings, and such reductions can be
implemented in ways to maintain adequate understanding of
the site conditions to make site decisions.
In addition to LTMO, EPA developed the pilot Fund-lead
pump-and-treat (P&T) optimization initiative as part of the
FY 2000-FY 2001 Superfund Reforms Strategy (OSWER
9200.0-33, July 7, 2000). Optimization facilitates system-
atic review and modification of existing P&T systems to
promote continuous improvement and to enhance overall
remedy and cost-effectiveness. In the Superfund program,
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
optimization evaluations are accomplished using the Reme-
diation System Evaluation (USE) process, a tool developed
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
There are fewer than 75 Superfund-financed P&T systems
operating nationwide. By the end of FY 2008, the Superfund
program had conducted an optimization evaluation at more
than 50 sites, nearly all from this universe of Fund-financed
P&T systems. EPA continues to encourage non-Fund-lead
facilities to utilize the RSE process to ensure that remedies
remain effective and, when appropriate, to reduce costs.
Five-Year Reviews
EPA conducts regular evaluations, called five-year
reviews, at Superfund sites where the cleanup results
in waste left in place that limits site use. For example, EPA
looks at a landfill to make sure the protective cover is not
damaged and is working properly. EPA also reviews sites
where the cleanup activity is still in progress after five years.
In both cases, EPA evaluates the site to make sure the clean-
up continues to protect people and the environment. During
FY 2008, 221 five-year reviews were conducted at Superfund
sites, including 26 at federal facilities.
Institutional Controls
Institutional controls are non-engineered actions, such as
administrative or legal controls, that prevent or reduce hu-
man exposure to contamination and/or protect the integrity
of the remedy. ICs, including deed restrictions, zoning, local
ordinances, and property easements, are a part of Superfund
cleanups when some waste is left in place and there is a need
to protect the public from potential exposure to remaining
contaminants. Although EPA expects that treatment or en-
gineering controls will be used to address dangerous wastes
and that ground water will be returned to beneficial use
whenever practicable, ICs also can play an important role in
remedies. When more extensive revitalization and reuse of
cleaned-up sites becomes a priority, ICs can become even
more important for ensuring public health and safety.
At the Norwood PCBs site in Norwood, Massachusetts, for
example, the final cleanup included excavation of soil and
sediment from an adjacent brook and consolidation of this
material under an asphalt cap. Remedial activities, includ-
ing some provisions for site reuse, were completed in 2001.
After several unsuccessful attempts to gain local approval
for further redevelopment, the developer worked with EPA
Region 1, the State of Massachusetts, and other local stake-
holders to resolve local concerns. The redevelopment plan
for the site, approved in March 2008, used the existing cap
as the primary parking area with new retail buildings situated
around the cap's perimeter. EPA and the state also modified
the ICs that govern redevelopment to identify a different set
of restrictions and permitted uses based on location within
the property.
Norwood Site Before
Norwood Site After
As an added benefit of this redevelopment, an additional 12
inches of gravel and four inches of asphalt were added to
the thickness of the previous cap, thereby increasing its pro-
tectiveness. The developer also installed a vapor mitigation
system under the retail buildings that is designed to remove
vapors that could accumulate due to the building's proximity
to ground water contamination. As the result of this col-
laboration, construction of a 56,000-square-foot retail center
was completed in September 2008.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
In 2008, Superfund developed a tracking system for ICs that
lists controls already in place, or being put in place, at every
Superfund site. The system includes identification of par-
ties responsible for monitoring the controls, and the actual
control instruments are copied into the system. This infor-
mation is essential for determining when site redevelopment
can begin and what kind of redevelopment is most appro-
priate. It is available on the site profiles contained on the
Superfund Web site for those sites where EPA has quality-
assured the information and made certain it can be reliably
documented. All published ICs at Superfund sites also may
be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ictssw07/public/exportM
regionalReport/ALL_REGIONS_IC_REPORTS.HTM.
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use
An important outcome of site cleanup is to make prop-
erties available for productive use. EPA's Superfund
redevelopment program assists communities in returning
some of the nation's worst hazardous waste sites to safe
and productive uses. While the Agency works to clean up
Superfund sites in order to protect human health and the
environment, EPA also works with communities and other
partners to consider reasonably anticipated future land use
in cleaning up Superfund sites. In addition to returning sites
to industrial reuse, many Superfund sites are returned to use
as parkland, agricultural land, residences, and commercial
space. Land and water at some sites also are being reused for
habitat and other ecologically beneficial uses.
To measure progress toward this outcome, the Superfund
program adopted a new measure in FY 2007 to capture site
progress beyond the construction completion milestone:
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use (SWRAU). This measure
tracks the number of NPL sites where the remedy construc-
tion is complete, cleanup goals for anticipated uses of the
land have been met, and any necessary ICs are in place. In
FY 2008, EPA ensured that 85 sites have all long-term pro-
tections in place necessary for anticipated reuse, bringing the
cumulative total of sites ready for anticipated reuse to 343.
Ecological reuse sometimes can be incorporated into site re-
mediation plans for Superfund sites. Returning contaminated
sites to beneficial use not only allows local communities to
reclaim lost land, but it also can lead to increased property
values, a higher tax base, and protected open space. In addi-
tion, when local interests have a stake in the revitalized prop-
erty, the chances are greater for continued productive use.
Before
Ecological Reuse Brings New Life to Many Sites
In FY 2008, EPA made significant progress in cleaning up
land at several sites involving ecological reuse. All or por-
tions of many Superfund sites, including the Uravan Mill
site profiled earlier in this report, are or will be reused in
ways that preserve greenspace, increase or improve habi-
tat for plants and animals, or enhance the area's ecology.
These varied efforts range in size and scope. Ecological re-
use projects can have a beneficial effect on ecosystems,
even when done on a small scale. Such reuse can also be
cost-effective because the habitat serves as a natural re-
mediation tool in the site cleanup process.
At the 5.2-acre Walsh Road
Landfill in Honey Brook,
Pennsylvania, in Region 3,
approximately 4,100 deep-
rooting hybrid poplar trees
and shallow-rooting plants
were planted on top of an
evaporative/trans pi rat ive
(ET) cover system more than
two years ago. The thick root systems of these trees help
absorb rainwater, thereby preventing excess water from ac-
cumulating on top of the cover and potentially damaging it.
When planted, the trees were an average of four feet tall.
Now, about 40 percent are over 20 feet tall, and the site is
beginning to look like a young forest.
In Region 10, more than a
century of mining and ore-pro-
cessing activities in Idaho's
Silver Valley contaminated the
Coeur d'Alene River, its flood-
plain, and adjacent lateral
lakes and wetlands with high
concentrations of cadmium,
lead, zinc, and other metals
in sediments. For decades, resident and migratory water-
fowl frequently ingested lead-contaminated sediment and,
as a result, suffered serious toxic effects or died. As part of
the interim 2002 ROD to address the basin portion of the
site, a private landowner and federal, state, and nonprofit
parties came together to implementa cost-effective project
to reduce waterfowl exposure to toxic levels of heavy met-
als. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted weekly
surveys in February and March 2008 and counted 3,814
ducks, geese, and swans in the area that was cleaned up-
including 3,454 in one day alone. This project is the first of
its kind in the basin, and represents an important step in
addressing its ecological contamination issues.
V J
After
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
EPA also recognizes that contaminated lands, including many
Superfund sites, can be a good fit for siting clean and renew-
able energy facilities. Renewable energy is obtained from
sources that can be continually replenished such as solar,
wind, and biomass. Use of renewable energy reduces green-
house gas emissions, decreases dependence on foreign oil,
and provides domestic economic development opportunities.
Alternative energy use of formerly contaminated sites remains
a high priority for the reuse of Superfund sites throughout all
Regions, and EPA made significant progress on several high-
profile renewable energy projects in FY 2008.
EPA Region 8, the Tri-County Public Health Department,
the City and County of Denver, and the Colorado Depart-
ment of Public Health and Environment worked closely
with Waste Management, Inc., to enable reuse of the Lowry
Landfill Superfund site near Denver, Colorado, for siting of
a methane gas energy plant. The plant, which was dedi-
cated in September 2008, will supply the energy needs for
more than 3,000 Denver-area homes. It uses methane gas
produced by decaying organic matter in the landfill to fuel
generators capable of pumping 3.2 megawatts of electric-
ity into the local power grid. Methane is considered one of
the most potent contributors to climate change. When fully
operational, the plant will remove approximately 5,000 tons
of methane from the landfill annually, which is the equiva-
lent of removing 22,000 cars from the road each year. At
the same time, the site continues to achieve more than 98
percent destruction efficiency required by EPA air quality
regulations. By working together, this partnership among
federal, state, and local governments and the private sector
has helped transform what was once an environmental liabil-
ity into a facility that now gives back to the community.
At the 110-acre Rose Township Dump site in Region 5, a
multi-year research project is investigating the feasibility of
using the cleaned-up NPL site to grow feedstock for biofuel
production. In partnership with Michigan State University,
a research team planted two acres of the Michigan site with
soybeans, switch grass, canola, corn, and sunflowers. The
challenge was to reuse the once-contaminated areas without
negatively impacting the integrity of the remedy, thereby
ensuring continued protection of human health and the en-
vironment. The first year demonstrated the viability of using
the former Superfund site to produce feedstock crops for
biofuel. One goal of the project was to help improve the im-
age of modern clean diesel technology, as well as to address
concerns regarding use of food crops for fuels, impacts on
land use and deforestation, and the cost-effectiveness of
renewable fuels when compared to gasoline. The project will
continue to harvest the crops in 2009 and will then assess
next steps. This project is a model for potential reuse of
hundreds of Superfund and brownfield sites nationwide.
NPL Deletion
One of the final steps in the post-construction phase
is the deletion of a site from the NPL. Deletion of
sites from the NPL may occur once all response actions are
complete and all cleanup goals have been achieved. EPA
has the responsibility for processing deletions with state
concurrence. Deleted sites may still require five-year reviews
to assess protectiveness. EPA also can delete portions of
sites that meet deletion criteria. In 2008, nine sites were fully
deleted from the NPL, and three were partially deleted.
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Superfund Annual Report FY2OOB
Looking Forward
Tie Superfund program is committed to meeting the
;hallenges and maximizing the opportunities to protect
human health and the environment by cleaning up the nation's
worst hazardous waste sites. Looking forward to FY 2009
and beyond, EPA and its partners will continue to address the
worst sites first, while maintaining protective remedies and
balancing the need to complete response actions across the
more than 1,200 sites still on the NPL.
Achieving construction completions at the most complex,
technically challenging and costly Superfund sites will continue
to be a significant challenge. Conducting faster, more ef-
ficient and effective cleanups remains our highest priority.
Additional Superfund resources from the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provided
an opportunity to start long-term cleanup projects and to
accelerate ongoing construction projects. EPA anticipates
that these resources will increase the speed with which some
sites are returned to productive use while spurring investment
in new or accelerated long-term construction projects. This
investment will directly generate jobs and increase demand for
construction materials.
While the Recovery Act funds provided an important and
considerable source of additional funding, the program will
continue to face resource challenges. For example, between
2003 and 2008, the program's remedial construction budget
suffered a 37 percent decrease in buying power when adjusted
for inflation.1 As a result, EPA has had increasingly limited
resources available to fund construction projects, and as oc-
curred in FY 2008, the program is not always able to fund all
new projects ready for construction. In addition, the program
continues to manage the resource challenge presented by
a relatively small number of complex, costly sites. In FY
2008,17 sites accounted for nearly 57 percent of Superfund
program construction and post construction obligations.
Addressing the cleanup of military munitions, enhancing
green remediation strategies at federal properties, ramping
down the BRAG program and accelerating property transfer
efforts will be priorities in FY 2009 and beyond. EPA will
continue working with DOE at some of its most challenging
1 This statistic was calculated usingthe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' indices
associated with estimating inflationary effects on the specialized field of heavy
civil construction projects like those undertaken at Superfund sites. These in-
dices differ from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the index economists
typically use to estimate general inflation. Had the CPI been used rather than
those associated with the heavy civil construction projects, the decrease in
buying would have been 19 percent for the same time period.
sites. Cleanup milestones for complex sites, including the
Hanford and Savannah River sites, may be adjusted. EPA also
expects to enhance its property transfer partnership with the
U.S. Coast Guard in FY 2009 by asking additional EPA regions
with coastal properties to assist in this important effort.
On the enforcement side, maximizing PRP participation at
Superfund sites by leveraging PRP resources and recovering
costs remains a key mission. EPA will continue to hold polluters
accountable through vigorous enforcement, thus ensuring that
polluters, rather than the public, pay for Superfund cleanups.
EPA also will increase its emphasis on implementing Super-
fund remedies in environmentally sustainable ways, as ap-
propriate under the statute and the NCR Green remediation is
a growing area of focus. The Superfund program will release
a green remediation strategy in 2009. EPA anticipates that the
strategy will foster these practices by identifying opportunities
to help build green remediation capacities and create mecha-
nisms to enable the use of green remediation practices.
The Superfund program's commitment to community
involvement continues to grow. EPA has learned that early and
meaningful citizen participation in Superfund decision-making
can lead to better cleanups. EPA will continue to promote
stakeholder involvement in every phase of the Superfund
process, from site discovery through remedy selection, opera-
tion and maintenance, and beyond, to site reuse.
While Superfund money cannot be used to redevelop prop-
erty, EPA continues to work with communities to promote
beneficial reuse of sites. This collaboration allows local
communities to reclaim lost land and can lead to increased
property values, a higher tax base, and more protected open
space. FY 2009 will be the third year that we have tracked
our progress in redevelopment using the Site Wide Ready for
Anticipated Use measure.
Working with our partners and with the involvement of
affected communities, the Superfund program remains com-
mitted to the goal of cleaning up and returning contaminated
lands to beneficial economic, ecological, and societal uses.
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